"Commander, are you coming to pick me up? That's great!"
Marian's joyful tone could be felt even without seeing her face.
Mo Chen froze for a moment and quickly responded.
"Uh, ah, yes."
"Hehe, this time I listened to the commander and didn't run off. Was I good?"
Marian sounded like a well-behaved child hoping for praise from a parent.
Hearing that she hadn't wandered off, Mo Chen let out a sigh of relief.
"Yes, very good. Marian is the best."
It seemed that the mysterious virus in the north had nothing to do with Marian.
Knowing she was safe, Mo Chen finally felt at ease.
At the same time, he decided to bring Marian back to the outpost as soon as he returned. Leaving her alone at the power plant was just too risky.
Hearing his praise, Marian was even happier.
"Commander, you have no idea how much I missed you. I even dreamed about you last night."
"Huh? What kind of dream?"
Relaxed now, Mo Chen asked with a smile.
"I dreamed that the commander was with lots of other women."
Mo Chen: "...?"
Marian's voice turned gloomy.
"I tried to approach you, but not only did you ignore me, you ran away. Those women even attacked me. I was so sad."
Mo Chen cleared his throat.
"Uh, don't overthink it. That won't happen. You're my precious one."
He quickly tried to reassure her.
Thinking about how many people were around him at the outpost while Marian was isolated at the power plant, Mo Chen's guilt grew even deeper.
On the other end, Marian's voice lit up with joy.
"Ah! Precious one! I'm the commander's precious one? That's wonderful!"
"Of course!"
Mo Chen had already made up his mind to bring Marian back as soon as he returned.
Marian sounded ecstatic, and her happiness practically overflowed through the call.
"Hehe! The commander treats me the best. I was even thinking of killing all those women who got close to you before."
"Ah?! Don't do that!"
Cold sweat broke out on Mo Chen's back.
Hearing her casually say something so terrifying in such a cheerful tone made his scalp tingle.
Had Marian really started to lose it?
"Commander, I love you the most. We'll be together forever, right?"
"Yes, forever."
"Hehe, that's great. Before, I thought the commander had abandoned me."
The word "abandoned" made him immediately recall the resentful voices of the infected Nikkes from earlier.
Even with his nerves of steel, he couldn't help swallowing hard.
"No way, I'd never abandon you. Don't think about that. Ah, the signal's cutting out, so I'll talk to you later when I come to pick you up."
"Okay, okay! Hurry, okay? Marian will wait patiently for you."
"Alright, I'm hanging up now."
"Static—"
The call ended abruptly due to interference.
Mo Chen put the phone down and, for some reason, let out a long sigh of relief.
Knowing Marian was safe, he finally felt reassured.
"Uh, Commander..."
Mo Chen turned around and saw Signal fidgeting nervously, as if she had something to say.
"What is it?"
Signal stammered. "May I ask... are you and that friend... very close?"
Mo Chen recalled his first encounter with Marian and couldn't help but smile.
"Yeah, pretty close."
"Oh, I see."
Signal's expression became complicated, and even she wasn't sure how to describe her feelings.
Noticing her strange expression, he grew curious.
"Why? Is there a problem? You heard the conversation earlier, didn't you?"
Since she had used her communication equipment, it was only natural she overheard parts of the call.
"Ah, no, no!" Signal waved her hands frantically like a child caught red-handed. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I just... just happened to hear a little bit. I promise it wasn't on purpose!"
Seeing the flustered and panicked Signal, he felt helpless.
"I didn't say you were eavesdropping."
"Ah?"
Signal's face turned even redder.
The truth was, aside from the phone line, her equipment also had wireless communication features. This meant she had overheard most of the call between Mo Chen and Marian, albeit with some static interference.
Phrases like "Commander surrounded by women," "being abandoned," and "killing anyone who approaches the Commander" echoed in her mind, leaving her pale-faced.
Was the Commander really such a person?
Her view of Mo Chen began to shift.
How could he be so much of a playboy?
Fuming with righteous anger, she wanted to condemn him for his actions.
But then...
A strange thought crossed her mind.
If that's the case...
Doesn't this mean I might have a chance too?!
Signal's eyes suddenly lit up with hope.
Unaware of Signal's internal turmoil, Mo Chen felt much better after the call and returned to the temporary camp.
He soon noticed a figure standing on a protruding rock, as straight as a pine tree in the snowstorm.
Her long white hair swayed in the wind.
It was Snow White.
Since the group started resting, she had been standing watch, unmoving.
Mo Chen approached her.
"Take a break. Don't overwork yourself."
From Mo Chen's perspective, Snow White's face looked youthful, like that of an underaged girl.
"Nikkes don't need rest. Humans, on the other hand, should rest. We still have a long way to go."
Snow White's eyes remained fixed on the snow-covered plains, alert for potential dangers. She had stood guard like this for hours.
"Don't worry. I'm not like most humans."
Mo Chen smiled.
With the enhancements from the Punishing Virus and Blacklight Virus, his physical capabilities had undergone a qualitative transformation, allowing him to withstand harsh environments.
Even in freezing temperatures, the viruses remained active.
"By the way, I wanted to ask you something."
"Go ahead."
"Have you seen Dorothy?"
Hearing that name, Snow White finally turned around, her cold eyes locking onto Mo Chen.
"How do you know about her?"
Mo Chen casually made up an excuse.
"I've just heard of her."
Snow White turned back toward the snowy plains and said, "Human, you'd better stay away from her."
Mo Chen was curious.
"Why?"
Snow White picked up an unidentifiable object and casually stuffed it into her mouth.
"I don't know why you're looking for her, but I'd advise against it."
Mo Chen wasn't deterred.
"Just tell me where she is."
Dorothy is a Pilgrim and one of the earliest members of the old Goddess Squad.
Finding her is equivalent to finding Eden, and finding Eden means uncovering clues to the situation.